


Hija Mía

by Petra4President



Series: Corpsekkuno <3 [5]
Category: youtube - Fandom
Genre: Bimbus!, Corpse and his daughter are precious, Dad! Corpse, Florist! Sykkuno, Fluff, LIKE A LOT MORE, M/M, Mentions of past abuse, Oops, Single Dad AU, Slight bit of angst, more angst than i thought
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2021-01-20
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:13:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28005954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Petra4President/pseuds/Petra4President
Summary: Corpse was always so sure he was never going to have kids. He took all the proper precautions but in a moment of weakness and regret, all of his life plans came crashing out. Through the darkness, he was blessed with a beautiful baby girl. Now, he just needed to figure out the art of parenting with the help from some friends and the cute new florist.
Relationships: Corpse Husband & Sykkuno (Video Blogging RPF), Corpse Husband/Sykkuno (Video Blogging RPF)
Series: Corpsekkuno <3 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2015482
Comments: 87
Kudos: 663
Collections: Server Simps





	1. Recital

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! I originally wasn’t going to write this but I absolutely fell in love with the idea of Corpse having a daughter so here you go! 
> 
> Also, I’m this story, Corpse is fluent in Spanish. 
> 
> Credit to:  
> Mollyroll for the title and help with Spanish.  
> Momoismywifu for being my beta for this chapter.  
> Syphus for suggesting the name for Corpse’s daughter!  
> KillerofKawaii for the amazing fan art that will be featured at the end of each chapter!
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING: Descriptions and depictions of past domestic abuse.

Corpse wasn’t always sure about how he wanted his life to turn out but there was always one constant, one thing that he never would change his mind about. He never wanted kids, too afraid that he would turn out to be dead beats like his parents. The responsibility, the pressure, the commitment, he knew he would never be able to do any of that well enough to raise a child to be a decent human being. And he had gone through every precaution to make sure it never happens. 

He didn’t go to college. After graduating high school, he decided he didn’t want any more education that he had now, there was no point after all because it’s not like he knows what he wants to do. Corpse started a YouTube channel to narrate horror stories and for a while, it made him enough money to rent an apartment. He was content with where he was for a bit, even going as far as to dabble in music. It was something he was passionate about and he wasn’t exactly expecting it to go anywhere, it wasn’t that good after all. 

But then he met her. She was a friend of Dave’s, his best friend, and he fell in love almost immediately. Her gorgeous brown hair flowed like waves down her back, her beautiful green eyes sparkling every time she laughed, and everything about her outgoing personality captivated him. Her name was Delilah and at first, he was terrified to ask her out. After several hype sessions from Dave, he finally gathered enough courage. And she said yes. 

It started out as any healthy relationship does. They were disgustingly lovey-dovey, constantly hanging out as much as humanly possible. He supported her cosmetology career and Delilah helped him when he recorded songs or videos. Corpse felt insanely lucky to be with someone as caring as her; someone who truly loved him for who he was. 

One day, a switch had flipped. Delilah went from loving to cold and apathetic in just a moment. He no longer recognized the person he was with. When he would work on music, she scowled and belittled every little thing he did. He lost his drive to continue, ultimately scrapping all of it to make her happy. But it never did. Corpse quit YouTube, keeping his channel up but no longer uploading anything without explanation. He took random jobs, ‘real jobs’ in her words, just to try and fix what he broke. 

It was never enough for her. The breaking point was when they got in a particularly bad fight, Delilah threatening him with a knife as her fingernails dug into his neck. After months of enduring her abuse, Corpse couldn't do it any longer. The next day, he got drunk off wine, ignoring the feeling of the red liquid soaking into his shirt. She had just gotten home from work, sneering at him as he stood across from her.

“We’re over.” Was what he said. And from there, he pushed his way past her, walking down the hall of his apartment to lock himself into their shared room. But she had other ideas, gripping his wrist using the fact he was drunk to overpower him. Corpse was too unsteady on his feet to keep his balance, tumbling on to the bed. She was on top of him in a second, her hands pressed firmly into the skin of his stomach that was exposed.

“You don’t want to break up with me. You’re worthless on your own.” She all but growled, his white tee coming off in one smooth motion. She looked disgusted. “Let me show you how fucking tainted you are, Corpse.” Every instinct told him to push off, to run as far as he could without turning back. But in his drunken haze, he gave into the euphoria.

He remembered all of it the next morning. Flashes of what had gone down last night plagued his mind, the bruises and scratches along his arms, neck, and back only a reminder of how weak he was. Corpse couldn’t tell if he puked because of the hangover or the memories. Probably both.

It was two months later that he found out she was pregnant. Corpse knew about her infidelity, and part of him fully believed that the baby was most likely someone else’s. That little thought comforted him more than anything. But the more she complained about having a child with ‘a fuck-up like you,’ the more he began to realize that perhaps there was some truth behind the words. The past two months, Delilah spent most of her nights at the apartment. She rarely ever went out for anything other than work and while he didn’t doubt that she’s invited her…lovers over, he’s been spending a majority of his time at home because of his online job.

The paternity test only confirmed his fears. He was going to be a father.

The entirety of her pregnancy was living hell for Corpse. Screaming, glass plates getting chucked at him, abuse, it had all become the norm for him. He’s given up on fighting her long ago, choosing to instead take the beatings and the verbal abuse. He should’ve listened to those studies state you tend to date people like your parents. Perhaps he could have avoided this entire situation. But it seems pain follows him wherever he goes.

The day she went into labor, Corpse found he couldn’t care less. It made him sick thinking about how he would have to raise a child with such a monster. The car ride to the hospital was filled with curses and screams, his knuckles turning white from his death grip on the wheel. It rooted him to reality, to prevent his anxiety from eating away at him from the inside.

They rushed her into a delivery room and soon enough, the OBGYN began the process of delivery. It was disgusting, to say the least, but Corpse would much rather watch that than hold Delilah’s hand. Judging by the looks he received from the nurses, it was clearly uncommon. Corpse just knew he was making himself out to be the bad guy, but he could care less.

After 12 grueling hours, their baby was finally born. It was a girl, another thing to add to the list of things to feel anxious about, and he found himself standing towards the back of the room as they handed Delilah the baby. Almost immediately, it began suckling and a majority of the hospital staff had left to prepare the room she would be staying the night in. The entire walk to was spent with Corpse looking anywhere but Delilah and the bundle in her arms. The thought of facing his new reality was enough to make him want to run.

But if wasn’t long after they got her settled that his baby’s mother got tired, demanding he take their child so she could sleep. Corpse stiffened but made his way over to her regardless. Finally, after three hours, his eyes landed on the small human sleeping peacefully in her arms. With the most care he’s ever handled anything, he took his baby from her and took a seat in one of the chairs lined up against the wall.

Corpse was entranced by the delicate features of the baby, the rise and fall of her chest, the little amount of spiky black hair poking out of her cute little head. Any anxiety he was feeling washed away the longer he held her; there was nothing he wouldn’t do for her. He would love and care for her as long as he lived.

His little Catalina.

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Papi, hurry up!” The high-pitched voice of his daughter filled the apartment, the man rolling his eyes as he grabbed the brush from the bathroom. Catalina sat in front of the couch with her legs bouncing impatiently on the floor. She was wearing a pink leotard with lighter pink leggings and ballet shoes, her outfit completed with a tutu. Her hair was a mess and for a moment, Corpse felt sorry that she inherited his unruly curls.

“Calm down Cat, you won’t be late.” He assured, sitting on the couch and carefully combing through the tangles. She whined at certain parts but allowed him to put her hair into a bun without much complaint. It was dark brown, a lighter shade than his own black hair, but just as curly as his.

“No!” She huffed, crossing her arms as he finished the tight bun. The second he was done, she got up on her feet and grabbed the straps of her gym bag. Corpse chuckled at the sight of her trying to pick it up, taking the bag from her tiny hands and snatching his keys off the counter. Catalina was already at the door, barely able to reach the door knob to pull it open. She led the way to his black pick-up truck, babbling about something he didn’t quite understand. At her age, she wasn’t the easiest to understand.

Catalina just turned five last month in June. She was so excited to finally be a ‘big girl’ and it seemed her sassiness doubled the second it was her birthday. It didn’t bother Corpse any; it was one of his favorite things about her. But still, her talking was not accurate in any sense of the word as she has yet to start kindergarten. That would be next month and the mere thought of it made his throat clench.

Corpse didn’t think he’d be doing good as a single parent. Delilah had walked out only a month after Catalina was born, leaving nothing behind and he hasn’t heard from her since. It didn’t bother him and he believed it was most certainly for the best. It made him sick thinking about what kind of horrible things she would do to his daughter. He was eternally grateful that she left when she did; and he prayed that she stayed away. Finding an excuse as to why Catalina didn’t have a mommy around every time she asked was hard enough, making another if she came back would be harder. It's not like Corpse could just tell his five-year-old daughter that her mother didn’t love her. 

But saying he was doing good on his own with no help was a whole other topic. If it hadn’t been for his amazing friends, Corpse wouldn’t have survived this long. Rae had taught him all he needed to know about fashion for girls as well as several different hairstyles. They even went as far as to teach the man how to use make up for the future. Both Jack and Rae spoiled Catalina when he couldn’t; they bought her things she wanted, like toys, when Corpse couldn’t afford it because he needed to pay rent or bills. Which ended up being a majority of the time. Since he refused to accept any help from them when it came to lending money, they resorted to just buying his daughter a surplus of toys, decorations, and anything else she wanted as a means of helping him. The first three years were rough; he had plenty of mental breakdowns about not being able to afford to buy Catalina things she wanted. And they were there to witness most of it. Corpse promised he would pay them back when he could, but they always told them that they just loved Catalina so much that they had to buy her everything. Which was half of the truth at least.

And then there was Dave. After it came out that Delilah abused him, almost all of his friends at the time turned their backs to him. You let yourself get abused by a woman. Man up. That’s what they told him and he knew it to be true. How could he raise a daughter if he let himself get pushed around by a woman? What kind of things would that teach Catalina? That it’s okay to let yourself get used by someone you thought you knew?

Through all these doubts, Dave was always there for him. He never felt judged and despite his hatred for children, he would be there to watch Catalina during his darker moments. During the times where he felt he couldn’t do it, that he couldn’t be the father she needed, it was always him that was there to remind him of the sacrifices Corpse has already made for her. As time went on, these thoughts became less frequent and he tried to tell Dave that he didn’t have to suffer through babysitting for him.

“I hate children.” He would always state flatly. “But Cat is an exception.” And Corpse could remember how the British man would sit his baby daughter on his lap, playing with her chubby little arms to make it look like she’s drumming. He has a video of one of the many times Dave did that, his daughter laughing the night away. Corpse swore that Catalina’s laughing, especially as a baby, was the best sound to ever grace his ears.

And as she grew older, she came to refer to Dave as her ‘favorite tío’ and the brunette took that role very seriously. He bought her things just for the sake of spoiling her and, because Corpse really had to give his daughter props for this, Dave let Catalina play with his hair. The raven-haired man touched it once; that little stunt got him placed in a choke hold. It was always Dave’s number one rule: never EVER touch the hair. It’s off limits.

If Corpse was jealous every time he came home from work to Catalina terribly braiding Dave’s hair as they watched Frozen, he didn’t let it be known. 

But, just to add to the things Corpse owned his friend for, Dave introduced him to a man named Charlie who ran a mechanics shop in town. He became a father at 18, YouTube was not getting him enough money to provide for Catalina so he abandoned that all together, searching for a job that would give him a steady source of income. Upon hearing about Corpse’s situation. Charlie made him an offer. At the time 19-year-old knew nothing about cars, so Charlie said he would give him a job as a trainee, it was a paid position, and once he was able to work on a car by himself, he would get a promotion and a raise. Corpse took the job and he was able to get that promotion in just 6 months.

“Are you ready for this, princess?” Corpse pulled himself out of his thoughts once he realized they were at the theatre, looking in the rearview mirror at the girl strapped into her booster seat. She beamed at him as he parked, getting out only to open the back door and unbuckle her. He took both of her hands, lifting her up as Catalina jumped. It was a habit they had formed; she loved it when she jumped and her father would use the grip on her hands to make it seem like she could leap as tall as he was.

“Yes!” She chirped, her tiny hand in her fathers as they made their way into the community theatre. Today was her ballet recital, the first once since she started classes, and while Corpse knew it was going to be awful, he still made sure to have his video camera at the ready. Some of the seats were already filled (he was relieved to see the front row was mostly vacant) and he took Catalina backstage to drop her off with her teacher.

“I’m going to be dancing for you, Papi. Make sure you watch!” Catalina wrapped her small arms around his neck as he hugged her tight, promising he’ll be front and center for her. She rushed off to her dance instructor after, a man by the name of James Charles, who offered him a quick smile before turning to the girls to begin their warm-up.

And just like Corpse promised, he found a seat up front towards the center. His camera was turned on, hovering over the ‘begin recording’ button. Corpse didn’t want to miss even one second of her first recital but not only that, he promised Dave, Jack, and Rae that he'd send them the video as well. Neither of them could make it because of work and they had spent all week making sure Catalina would forgive them. Naturally, the little girl had been heartbroken that they wouldn’t be there. 

“Sir, the front row is for parents only.” Corpse sighed, he was too used to these types of comments. It’s not like he could blame them really, he was only 23 and looked it, the idea of him having a 5 year old was kind of odd. Not to mention the goth style he wore, the several silver rings adorning his fingers, and the rest of the jewelry he wore most likely didn’t help his case.

“I am a parent.” The woman that he could only describe as a Karen stammered at his voice, clearing his throat to meet his gaze once more. Corpse had that type of affect on people; it was both a godsend and a curse. The way he looked was intimidating enough, the deep and raspy tone of his voice only made the matter worse. It did make it hard to meet new people to the point where he just gave up on that. Several failed date attempts was enough to solidify that in his mind. 

“You most certainly are not.” She countered quite childishly which caused Corpse to groan. Why couldn’t Karens mind their own goddamn business. “I’m sure you wouldn’t mind if I accompanied you to pick up your daughter after the show, then.” Her voice was laced with venom and at this point, he just wanted her to shut up. 

“Whatever.” Corpse grumbled and the lights dimmed, music playing over the speakers. Karen took a seat next to him, which annoyed him, but he was too focused on his daughter when she danced onto the stage from the sides with her teacher and the rest of the class. He had since begun recording, Catalina easily able to pick her dad out from the crowd. She didn’t wave (she wanted the performance to be perfect) but she gave him the biggest smile at every opportunity she could. 

Of course, James was the only one who actually looked good during the recital. The young girls often forgot what they were supposed to do next or butchered the ballet moves they did remember. Even his perfect little angel made some mistakes though he wasn’t going to tell her that. Because like he said, she’s a perfect little angel. And soon enough, it was over with them awkwardly shuffling off the stage. The theatre was filled with claps and cheers as parents got up to retrieve their children from backstage, Corpse following suit whilst trying not to snap at the Karen trailing behind him.

But when he saw his amazing daughter giggle at the compliments James was giving the girls, it made all of his negative feelings wash away. The bun lasted throughout the one-hour recital, he reminded himself to thank Rae for teaching him later, and he waited with the rest of the parents for the instructor to finish before dismissing them. 

“Papi!” Catalina squealed, throwing herself into his awaiting arms so he could life her up into a bear hug. She laughed, resting on his hip so he could grab her bag with his other hand. This was the only reason he worked out, he wanted to be able to carry her with one arm. “Did you see me?” 

“Absolutely baby, and you did amazing.” He almost forgot about the Karen before the woman stood closer to them, her eyes going from poisonous to warm and caring in a moment. The frown appeared on his face once more, his eyes following her every move carefully. Behind her, he noticed the man she was sitting with, probably her husband, holding the hand of one of Catalina’s dance class-mates. 

“Honey, is this man trying to hurt you?” He supposed it was a fair question. Catalina only inherited his curly hair, which you couldn’t see with the bun, and his eye shape. But everything else was purely Deliliah. Catalina’s skin was also olive due to her Hispanic genes and she spent far more time outside than he did. They would look the same in that aspect if he didn’t wear a gray jumpsuit everyday to work. But Karen reached to grab her and Corpse stepped back out of her reach, his daughter falling quiet. Instinctively, his grip around Catalina tightening. 

“Don’t touch my daughter.” He growled, his hand resting comfortably on her back as she hid her face in his neck. She didn’t like strangers, especially those who try to grab her for no reason. Karen’s gaze switched to him again and she was practically staring daggers at him. 

“I’m just making sure you’re not trying to kidnap her!” They gained a lot of attention from the other parents, and he realized he was probably on his own here. Whenever he dropped off Cat, he tended to be fairly early due to his job and James was very understanding of it all. But there were no parents in his daughter’s age group by the time he brought her to dance class and whenever he couldn’t drop her off, it was either Dave or Rae that would. So to them, it may seem like he was some random man trying to pick up Catalina. Karen opened her mouth to say something else but James was by his side in a second, offering the woman the most sarcastically polite smile he had ever seen. 

“With all due respect, Mrs. Langster, this is Catalina’s father and I don’t like that you are harassing him. Leave him alone or get out.” Corpse smirked at the way Karen’s face fell and he was half expecting her to chew him out. But instead, she huffed and stormed out with her husband and child. James was the best dance instructor in the state and you won’t find a better one for miles, so he was sure Karen didn’t want to lose her daughter’s position in his class. 

Corpse let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, turning towards the man to properly thank him. James was smiling, telling him not to worry about it and that the single dad’s he works with tend to get the same kind of mistreatment from ‘Karens that think they’re better than everyone else’ (yes, those were his exact words). 

“Alright, princess.” Corpse said as they reached the car, buckling her into her booster seat. He set her bag on the floor and leaned forward so they were eye level. She hadn’t said anything since their little run in with Karen but he was hoping his next words would cheer her up. 

“Do you want to go see Jack and get some ice cream after?” Just as he expected, her face lit up and she nodded her head vigorously. He chuckled, giving her a kiss on her forehead before heading over to the driver’s side. Jack’s little store was only 10 minutes away so it was spent with the father and daughter singing terribly to Frozen songs because they were Catalina’s favorite and Corpse really had to ignore how difficult it was for his throat to even sing. 

_Jack’s Floral_ read the sign sitting above the red front door of the shop. Several kinds of flowers that he couldn’t name decorated the windows and in the back, Catalina was practically bouncing in her seat. This was probably her favorite place to be because of the love of plants she developed due to Jack. Every time they visited, the Irishman would give her a new kind of flower and tell her what it was; for weeks after, it would be her obsession. The bell rang when Corpse opened the door, causing his friend to look up from the counter. Immediately, he smiled, but not because of Corpse. 

“Tío Jackie!” Catarina laughed as the man all but vaulted over the counter to give her a hug. He didn’t understand why Cat got free passes with his friends; the one time he called him ‘Jackie’ he got a punch to the arm. The brunette wrapped his daughter in a warm hug, causing another fit of giggles because of his itchy beard. 

“I’m so sorry I missed your recital, Cat.” He apologized, setting her down on the floor though he didn’t let go of her hands. “Tell you what, why don’t you pick out a flower you want? It can be any kind, okay?” She nodded, dragging the grown man around the shop. She would ask about flowers, Jack let her feel the petals to see if they were soft, and she would get to see how they smelled. It was endearing to watch and he barely registered the sound of the door opening and closing. A voice he didn’t recognize announced he was back, Jack answering him with something else, and soon enough, a man came out from the back room with a green apron tied around his torso. 

_Fuck he was beautiful._

“Oh hello! Can I help you with anything?” His name tag read ‘Sykkuno’ and he wore one of those customer service smiles. Even though Corpse was sure it was fake, he couldn’t help but feel there was some sort of genuinity behind it. Just as he was about to answer, his daughter ran up to the side of the counter. 

“Doggy!” He hadn’t noticed the small white dog laying there and he wondered if perhaps it had come with the man. But, because he didn’t want his daughter to be raised as a heathen, he grabbed her wrist to turn her around gently before she could reach the animal. 

“Catalina, it’s not nice to pet a dog without asking the owner first.” He scolded, his anxiety spiking ever so slightly at the glossy look her eyes were developing. She wasn’t the type of child to use tears as a means of getting what she wanted, but she hated getting in trouble and he always felt guilty for making her cry. 

“It’s okay, she can pet him.” The man, Sykkuno, was crouching down next to the dog now, gently running his fingers along his back. “His name is Bimbus, he’s super friendly.” His smile as he addressed Catalina was soft and kind; Corpse couldn’t understand why the mere sight of it made his heart flutter. 

He let go of his daughter, half expecting her to hide behind him like she usually does when a stranger talks to her. But instead, she smiled and began to pet the dog like Corpse taught her to: gentle and slow. He sighed, standing up straight to push the curls out of his face. Well, crisis averted. 

“Tío Jackie, he’s soft like a cloud!” She giggled when Bimbus gave her hand a lick, making herself comfortable on the floor in front of him. Sykkuno snorted, whispering the nickname in a question under his breath that Jack decidedly ignored, but joined his daughter on the floor. 

“I’m sorry about that. I’m trying to teach her to ask first.” Corpse sighed, the man giving him a smile that was much more shy. But not only that, he covered it and he wasn’t quite sure how to feel about that. But Sykkuno, shook his head, looking back down at Catarina petting Bimbus’ head. 

“D-Don’t be, you taught her to be gentle, so t-that’s good!” Corpse quirked an eyebrow at his stuttering which only seemed to make the man more embarrassed. He chuckled, leaning against the counter. Corpse could listen to this man all day.

“I-I’m Sykkuno by the way.” He stuck out his hand, another dashing smiling that made Corpse’s knees weak. Slowly, he took his hand to give it a firm shake, and it reminded him about all the cuts Jack would have on his fingers dealing with thorns because Sykkuno’s hands were the exact same. 

“Corpse.” They spent the next 30 minutes making small talk, Jack too interested in what Catarina was doing to notice them. But eventually, Corpse knew he’d have to take his daughter to get the promised ice cream and she had been shooting him puppy dog eyes the entire time. After the hundredth time, he gave in. 

Jack was sad that they had to go, promising Catalina that he would see her this weekend. And as she was getting her flower from him, he tried to think of something to say to Sykkuno but his mind drew a blank. Should he say something flirty? Funny? Should he just go casual? In his moment of overthinking, he hadn’t noticed that Cat had finished picking her flower. Was he a little disappointed? Yes. 

Jack caught his eye as they were leaving, and Corpse knew it was because of the fact the smile lingered on his face a little too long when saying bye to Sykkuno. He just knew he was going to get a few texts from him later tonight. 

“Papi, can we go back to see Tío Jackie tomorrow? I wanna pet the doggy!” Her hazel eyes were filled with stars as she stared down the shop until it was out of her sight. The image of a smiling new employee flashed through his mind and he had to clear his throat out of pure embarrassment. He would be doing this for his daughter, definitely not so he could possibly see Sykkuno again. No way. 

_Even if he was the most gorgeous man he has ever seen._

“Sure, Cat.”   
  



	2. Florist

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this at 3 am, it's probably riddled with mistakes and I am sorry for that. As always, I hope you guys enjoy <3

“Papi likes red roses!” The cheerful sound of the 5-year-old he’s gotten to know over the past week filled the lively flower shop. It was infectious, the way Catalina brought energy to every little thing she said. Looking at her now, tiny little arms wrapped around Jack’s neck, Sykkuno couldn’t help but smile. At first, Catalina was shy around him and he supposed it was fair. He was a total stranger after all. She would tense up or hide behind her tío every time he tried to talk to her. Did it hurt his feelings? A little but he tried not to take offense. 

He recalled the first time he saw her. Sykkuno had just gotten back from his break and he decided to spend it taking Bimbus on a walk. He moved to LA about six months ago and ever since he got a job at the flower shop, he’s had a lot more free time to explore the city. His dog was pretty tired by the time they were done, laying down on the cold tile of the store. He noticed the man standing by the counter with his back to Sykkuno so, just as Jack had taught him, he put on his best customer service smile to address him. 

It wasn’t until he heard the man’s voice did he take him in completely. He was young, probably in his mid-twenties (which was insane considering his _voice_ made him sound like he was 30), black curls falling across his forehead nicely, his eyes were a lovely chocolate brown which made him all the more attractive paired with his pale complexion. His eyes then traveled to the rings adorning his fingers and _oh Jesus-how could hands be that attractive,_ with his gaze eventually landing on the chipped black nail polish he wore. He was thankful the man’s daughter saw Bimbus because he would have embarrassed himself if he was caught blushing. 

The image of the man he soon learned to be named Corpse was burned into his retinas. The shy smiles they exchanged when he left that first day only made it worse. 

“Jackie?” Sykkuno had asked after that first encounter, laughing at the nickname Catalina gave him. “I didn’t know you had a niece.” He watched the older man ring up the plant he had gifted Catalina, a purple bellflower, and pay for it out of pocket. He appeared much more content after the visit, whatever bothering him washed away with the vibrant giggles of the little girl. 

“Cat is the only one who can call me Jackie.” His voice was serious though the smile never left his eyes. “She’s not my niece by blood. Corpse…” Jack trailed off slightly, his shoulders slouching just a bit as he rummaged through his thoughts. Sykkuno hadn’t meant to ask such a personal question, and he was about to tell him it was fine, but the Irishman continued before he could. 

“Corpse is a single father. I and some of his other friends try to give him as much support as we can. Most of the time, that means spoiling Catalina.” There was a sense of forlorn to his words and Sykkuno felt it was best not to push the subject. Quite frankly, it was none of his business. But even so, he imagined raising a child on your own was difficult. 

Almost everyday that week, Corpse would drop Catalina off for a couple of hours much to the delight of Jack. He would be wearing a light gray jumper, _Greaseball Mechanics_ printed the left side of his chest. He wouldn’t have on the usual assortment of jewelry and Sykkuno assumed it was so they would remain pristine. And the brunette most certainly did _not_ think about how broad Corpse’s shoulders looked in that jumper. No way. Definitely not him. 

Apparently, the friend that usually babysat Catalina was out of town and Jack offered to watch her in a heartbeat. The girl seemed happy with it, spending most of her time either playing with Bimbus in the backroom or helping with the flowers as much as she was allowed to. One day, Cat seemed a little down, going on about how she missed her Tío Dave. Jack had seemed a little hurt by that and when Sykkuno finally got the courage to talk to Corpse, he asked why that was so. 

“My best friend Dave is Cat’s favorite tío,” _Sykkuno did not swoon at the Spanish word_ , “and Jack is still jealous about that.” Corpse teased, earning a glare from the Irishman. His hand barely came up fast enough to cover the smile he had. His shoulders shook with silent laughter as he watched the two bicker, Jack swearing he would become Catalina’s favorite one day. 

“Papi,” Catalina called, grasping her father’s sleeve. Her hazel eyes were wide and hopeful as she spoke, “crees que tío Dave me deje ponerle flores en el pelo?” 

"Claro, mi cielo." Corpse’s voice was soft, one of his hands coming to rest on top of her head. She gasped, giving him a quick hug before running off to the flowers by Bimbus with the biggest smile he had ever seen and Sykkuno definitely **_did not swoon at the way he spoke Spanish._ **

“It’s a losing battle, Jackie.” The younger man narrowly dodged the punch aimed for his arm, giggling the entire way out the door. Sykkuno’s heart lurched at the sound, unable to comprehend how a man so dark and mysterious could be blessed with such a _cute_ laugh at the same time. 

The first time Catalina spoke to him without the help of Corpse or Jack was when he was brushing Bimbus after a particularly windy walk. Business was slow that day and they were able to catch up on the catalogs so he had spare time to make sure his precious puppy’s fur wasn’t matted. He noticed the way she was watching him from afar, clearly interested in what he was doing but too shy to say anything. So, with the kindest smile he had, he offered her the brush. 

“Do you want to try?” She was hesitant at first, fiddling with the hem of her pink shirt. She shook her head no and Sykkuno respected that but he caught onto her subtly scooting closer. Well, as subtle as a 5-year-old could get. It was evident that she had wanted to say yes. 

Eventually, she was right by his side running her tiny fingers through the fur he’s already combed. Catalina didn’t say anything, only giggling when Bimbus gave her hand a lick. Once more, he held the brush out to her and she took it this time, mimicking the technique Sykkuno used. He had to adjust her hold a few times but was quite relieved when she didn’t flinch away from his touch. 

“He’s so soft!” She exclaimed, finishing the rest of the white fur on his back. Sykkuno could really appreciate how Corpse has taught her to be gentle with animals. It was as clear as day now with how she wasn’t pressing the prongs in too hard as she brushed. He reminded himself to thank the mechanic later. 

Bimbus had since rolled onto his side, his front arm lifted in the hair so the girl could rub his belly. The pair sat there giggling together as the dog’s tail thumped against his knee. But not too soon after she was done, her movements halted when he adjusted to rest his snout on Sykkuno’s thigh. 

“I don’t want to hurt Bimbus.” Catalina was looking at him now, a frown on her face that he felt just didn’t fit. The doggy comb was hovering over his head and Sykkuno took it from her hands with a smile. 

“I can show you how to brush his head if you want.” The brightness he associated her with returned soon after, agreeing to his offer without any second thoughts. Sykkuno leaned forward to adjust how Bimbus was laying to get better access to his ears but before he could start, Catalina had crawled her way into his lap. Her hand grasped the handle but she wasn’t yanking at it. Sykkuno didn’t have the heart to tell her to get off and he seriously hoped Corpse would be okay with that. 

Slowly, he led her through the motions of combing the ears of a dog, explaining that you have to be careful because Bimbus is sensitive here. When he felt confident enough to let her do it on her own, he let go of the brush and she took over from there. One hand held the ear in her palm while the other used the comb, just like he taught her. She was a natural and if Corpse didn’t already get her a pet, he needed to. 

“Tío Jackie, look! Sysy let me brush Bimbus!” If the pure, unadulterated joy on her face wasn’t enough to make this worth it, the nickname she gave him most certainly was. 

Sykkuno let her brush out the rest of Bimbus, only taking over when it came to his paws and once that was done, Jack asked if he could work on the arrangements for a few preorders. They weren’t particularly difficult by any means, just a simple bouquet of white lilies, yellow roses, and pink tulips for a wedding. Usually, making multiples with the same flowers grew boring but luckily for him, he had a pair of tiny hands to help him. 

Catalina had become his little shadow for the rest of the day. Sykkuno didn’t find it annoying but rather endearing in the way she wanted to help. So, he would clip the stems to the proper length, let her decide where to put them in the arrangement, and watch her face light up with absolute excitement when it was all complete. 

For the last hour, before the shop closed, it was spent with Sykkuno and Catalina finishing the bouquets while Jack did the usual closing checklist. By the time everything was put away and ready for tomorrow there was only about 5 minutes before they could officially close down and that’s when he noticed the woman entering the building. At first, he was a tad annoyed at such a late customer but it all melted away once he recognized who it was. 

“Tía Rae!” Catalina squealed, throwing herself into the waiting arms of Rae. The smile graced his lips involuntarily as he took her in. She hadn’t changed much since they last saw each other, her hair was longer now and dyed to give it an ombre appearance. She was wearing a red crop-top and black skirt, a style that fit her no doubt, and black booties to complete her outfit. 

“Rae?” She looked up from Cat though her arms never left the child and it took her a second to recognize who he was but when she did, she was just as excited as he was. With one last big hug, she put Catalina down and walked over to him. He was expecting her to shake his hand or something but he was pulled into an embrace instead. 

“Oh my god, Sykkuno! I haven’t seen you in forever.” She pulled back, her hands still on his shoulders as she looked him up and down. Rae was never one for personal boundaries and she was just as loud as always. He giggled, covering his mouth which earned him a glare. She swatted his hand away, claiming he was too cute to shield the world from his smile. 

“It’s only been...6 years.” The brunette hadn’t realized college really ended that long ago. Rae gave him a sympathetic smile before finally letting him go and picking Cat up who had been clinging to her leg the entire time.

“I had no idea you were the new employee Jack was talking about. I would’ve visited way sooner!” Jack emerged from the backroom, rolling his eyes at the woman who stuck her tongue out at his appearance.

“How would I have known you two were friends?” He shot back and she just shrugged, whispering something into Cat’s ear that made the little girl giggle. Sykkuno assumed she was in the same situation as Jack when it came to Corpse and Catalina; not related by blood, just spoiling her because they wanted to. There was no resemblance between the two girls nor was there any between Corpse and Rae. 

“Sykkuno and I went to college together. Didn’t realize it was so long since we talked.” The bell above the door jingled to indicate somebody else came in and this time, Sykkuno didn’t recognize who it was. A man, the oldest out of everyone in the flower shop but not by much, with incredibly long brown hair and a single red streak towards the front. He was wearing blue skinny jeans and a black long-sleeved v-neck. Around his neck was a black and white scarf and glasses adorned his blue eyes. 

“TĺO DAVE!” Catalina all but screamed, jumping out of Rae’s arms to throw her own around Dave’s neck. He was smiling brightly, hugging her as tight as he possibly could without hurting her. “You’re back!” 

“I can’t stay away from you for too long, Cat.” Jack and Rae deflated at the lack of attention from Cataline, crossing their arms in a way that could only be described as a pout. Sykkuno earned a glare for his giggling but he didn’t care. 

“Ready to go?” Dave addressed the other two with a grin that was meant to rub in the fact he was the favorite. Cat was being held in his arms contently, resting her head against his shoulder as they waited for Jack to get his things. 

“Sykkuno, we’re going to walk around town and look at the Christmas lights until Corpse is off. Do you want to come? There’s _so much_ we need to catch up on.” Rae gave him one of those smiles that suggested _you can say no but it won’t end well for you._

“Oh yeah, it’ll be fun buddy!” Jack smiled, and it wasn’t like Sykkuno had anything planned tonight, but he felt like he would be intruding on a family moment. 

“Sysy, come!” Catalina giggled, perking up in the arms of her favorite human being (besides her father). The brunette sighed, knowing that he can’t say no to her after helping her brush Bimbus. And he knew full well that she most likely wanted him to tag along because of his dog. 

But in the end, he conceded and found himself walking down the streets downtown. Bimbus was trotting by his side happily with Catalina on the other side of the white canine. She insisted on it and as it turns out, he’s not the only one that has trouble saying no. Dave was to her left, holding onto her hand to make sure she doesn’t run off. Jack was talking to the brit while Rae made herself comfortable to Sykkuno’s right, linking her arms with his as they caught up on every that happened for the past 6 years. 

It was odd, in a way. Even though he hasn’t talked to Rae in 6 years, it felt as if nothing ever changed between them. She was one of his closest friends and he trusted her with so much information that he normally wouldn’t tell anyone. It was unfortunate that he moved away after graduation and they lost contact. He hadn’t expected her to be in LA nor did he think she’d know Jack. Fate is a funny thing, isn’t it? 

As it got darker out, they stopped at a park after buying ice cream. Sykkuno learned a bit more about Dave. He was a rapper whose music has been getting a lot of success lately. He was visiting a friend in the UK for the past week which is why he couldn’t watch Catalina. He’s known Corpse since before he became a father and he often bragged to Jack and Rae that he got to hold Cat as a baby. 

Dave also introduced Corpse and Jack 4 years ago. They hit off as friends almost immediately and soon enough, the Irishman became Tío Jackie after buying her a few too many toys. Rae was a photographer and was hired (by Dave) to take baby photos of Catalina. It was Corpse’s birthday present and apparently, their friendship started out by them going on two dates before realizing there were no romantic feelings. That was a little over three years ago. 

“Sorry I’m late, rude customers as always.” Sykkuno met the eyes of the man himself. Not only did he look worn, but he sounded tired as well. Black smudges stained his cheeks and wore a black jacket over the gray jumper. Catalina scrunched her nose, refusing to give her dad a hug after he opened his arms for one. 

“Papi, you stink!” Corpse reeled back, a hand over his heart to feign hurt. She only giggled but he didn’t pressure her into an embrace. 

“Alright alright, I get it.” He chuckled, turning his attention to the four other adults instead. Sykkuno gave him a shy smile, which the other man returned and yes, the brunette did ignore the elbow in his ribs from Rae. 

Sykkuno tuned out the conversation after that, too honed in on the way Corpse’s lips moved when he talked. The raven-haired man’s focus was on Dave, laughing at something the brit had said to him. That was all his ears could process and that alone was enough to make him smile. 

And then, those brown eyes were on him, staring right into his soul. The intensity of them was captivating and he felt that he was pouring his heart out to him in just one look. The shiest of smiles crossed the mechanic’s features and Sykkuno found himself reciprocating the expression. He could get lost in the way his lips were shaped, in the way his hair curled ever so nicely. 

“Earth to Kkuno!” Rae’s voice shattered his thoughts and he realized, with much embarrassment, that he had been staring. His face burned up as he turned to look at his old friend who had a far too big grin on her face. He hated how well she could read his mind still, even after 6 years. 

“Uhm, y-yeah?” He cleared his throat, bringing the long-forgotten coffee to his lips. At least that gave him a distraction. 

“I was just asking if you needed a ride home.” Corpse answered for her, and Sykkuno met his gaze only to immediately stare at his lap.

“O-Oh. Uhm, my a-apartment is only about 30 m-minutes from here-” Corpse shook his head, his curls bouncing around his head. He rose to his feet, grabbing Catalina by her waist and placed her on his shoulder like she was a bag of potatoes. Her giggles filled the air as she kicked her feet around. 

“It’s cold, let me drive you home.” The way he turned on his heel showed that he wasn’t leaving it up for argument. Catalina was smiling at him from the way she was hanging over her dad’s shoulder, flailing in his grip but to no avail. 

“Papi, let me go!” She laughed when he started hopping around, careful enough not to hurt his daughter. Sykkuno smiled, grabbing Bimbus’ leash and jogged to catch up to the pair. They didn’t have to walk long until they reached a black pick-up truck parked on the side of the road. Corpse opened the back door, bringing his daughter down from his shoulder to buckle her into the booster seat. Once he was done, he let Sykkuno put Bimbus back there much to the delight of Catalina. 

The car ride was spent in awkward silence, the only sounds were the playlist Corpse had put on and the humming of Catalina in the back. Sykkuno had spent the past 15 minutes trying to find something to say, thank him for the car ride or just _anything_ but his mind was drawing blanks each and every time he tried to find something. Luckily for him, one of Catalina’s favorite songs came on and it turns out that was the perfect ice breaker they needed. 

“Sing with me!” She all but demanded, earning a chuckle from her father. His eyes never left the road but Sykkuno knew he was addressing him. 

“I hate this song.” But the next thing he knew, he was singing along with that deep bass voice of his. And all Sykkuno could think was how _incredible_ he sounded when he sang. Like, he could easily mistake Corpse for a professional singer had he not already known he was a mechanic. 

“Sysy, sing!” Sykkuno saw the quirk of Corpse’s eyebrow at the nickname and the brunette avoided answering it by singing a lot terribly. The song was Despacito (without Justin Bieber) and his Spanish was...absolute crap compared to that of Corpse’s. And don’t even get him started on when he decided to do a screamo adlib out of nowhere. 

They pulled up to his apartment building far too soon and Sykkuno’s throat ached by the time they were done with their mini-concert. The florist slid out of the front seat, opening the back door to pick his dog up. As he was doing so, he was pulled into a surprise hug by the 5-year-old. Giggling, he gave her a quick squeeze back. Bimbus barked happily at Catalina and he just knew that the little girl was the animal’s new favorite human. 

“Bye-bye Bimbus! Bye Sysy!” She waved and Corpse looked over the seat to offer him a smile. 

“Bye Sykkuno. Maybe uh, maybe we can hang out again? Just the two of us?” It came out more than a question and the brunette was mesmerized by the way his hand came up to rub at the back of his neck. 

“S-Sure! Thank you for the ride, Corpse.” He covered his smile. “Bye Cat.” With that, he shut the door and watched as the black truck disappeared down the street. With a skip in his step, he entered his apartment complex and took the elevator to the fifth floor. Finding the door that read ‘528’, he found that it was already unlocked. 

Of course, his roommate was sitting on the couch inconspicuously with a mug of what he assumed to be coffee. At his entrance, he set the magazine he was reading down to give Sykkuno his full attention. 

“You’re awfully home late.” Toast glanced at the clock that read 9:08 pm and the brunette could only offer him an apologetic smile. When he moved to LA, his long-time friend offered him a place to stay until he could get on his own feet. With a job, he could help pay rent and any other bills but he was saving up for his own place. Nothing against Toast, of course, but he was 28 and his friend often got...protective when it came to him. 

“I saw Rae again! Remember her? We were just catching up, that’s all.” It was not exactly a lie but it wasn’t the truth either. He didn’t want Toast to worry and to be honest, he wasn’t quite sure if he was ready to handle the teasing when it came to his little...crush. 

“Mhm.” That was all he said, giving him one final look before retiring to his room. Toast definitely saw through his bluff and he’d most certainly hear about this later. 

But that didn’t matter. Because Sykkuno has already accepted the fact he was 100% screwed in the best kind of way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Papi, crees que tío Dave me deje ponerle flores en el pelo?” Dad, do think Uncle Dave will let me put flowers in his hair?
> 
> "Claro, mi cielo." Of course, my sky. 
> 
> Credit to KillerofKawaii for the AMAZING fanart of Catalina!!! Any art that I feature on this story of Corpse/Sykkuno/Catalina, please do not repost anywhere else without permission from KillerofKawaii.  
> Credit to mollyrolls for helping me with the Spanish in this story!
> 
> Leave a comment! I love reading them <3


	3. First Days

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly, I'd like to say I am so sorry about not updating in forever. My laptop wasn't working and I couldn't type up anything. It was torture but it also gave me time to fully plan out the story. As you'll see, there is a set chapter amount now! This will be my longest story thus far~ Anywho, thank you all for your patience <3 
> 
> In this chapter, I tried to make it as fluffy as possible. When Corpse's merch dropped, I made a deal with other Corpsekkuno writers that if I manage to get a hold of his merch, I would write something I'm not as comfortable with. And for me, that's fluff. If you've read any of my other stories, you know much I love my angst. I hope it came out decent enough because this was hard to write lol 
> 
> Thank you to Mollyroll for being my beta (as well as helping with the Spanish) and this chapter is dedicated to ThatHotStuff, my number one fan. Thank you for rereading this story 6 times, it means a lot <3

For the past five years, there have only been a handful of constants in Corpse’s life that he knew he could always rely on. Number one being his daughter, of course. In a lot of ways, he leaned on her upbeat personality in his darkest days. There were many times he laid awake at night thinking of all the things he couldn’t do for her because his priorities had to be making sure they had food and a roof over their heads. And Catalina was never the child to get upset with her father if she didn’t get the toy she wanted. He was very lucky for that and he knew a good part of that was because of Dave. 

Dave was always there for him. Whenever Corpse struggled financially to pay the bills or knew he wouldn’t be able to afford the things Catalina deserved at Christmas, Dave helped in every way he possibly could. He never took the credit for the gifts Cat would get, insisting Corpse say it was from him because his daughter needed to know that her dad loved her. But his best friend also spoiled the girl enough that she understood she was loved by the Brit. I mean, she eventually caught onto the fact that even her daddy wasn’t allowed to touch Dave’s hair but she was. 

Dave was Corpse’s second constant, and he’s long since gotten over the anxiety that he would disappear as most other things have. 

Jack and Rae were his third. It seemed they took the role of Uncle and Aunt quite seriously and part of that was because of their little competition with Dave over the title of ‘favorite uncle/aunt.’ Corpse has told them many times to just give up; the brunette was always going to be Catalina’s favorite no matter what. But they didn’t listen which didn’t elicit any complaints from the younger male, his daughter got too many toys between the three of them that Corpse felt less bad about being unable to afford any of that. But it was also Jack and Rae’s idea that Corpse set aside money from his paychecks to take his daughter out on daughter-daddy dates every now and then, even if it was only $1 that he could spare. 

And so he did. Corpse had put a little more thought into when this date would be and where he would take her. There were reasons for it of course; the biggest one being the fact his daughter started kindergarten tomorrow. If he shed a few tears throughout the day already, no one had to know. 

He decided that the best course of action would be just to ask Catalina what she wanted to do for their outing today. She all but demanded that he take her to get Italian food (Dave had made her pasta the other day and it became her favorite food...because her uncle Dave made it for her) and Corpse didn’t see a problem with that because even he could indulge in good Italian food as well. He picked a restaurant named Biaggi’s, mainly because he had a specific craving for one of their appetizer dishes, and the pair got themselves dressed up. 

Corpse went for dark blue jeans, a black v-neck, and a blazer for his look, much to Catalina’s disappointment as she wanted her papi to wear pink with her. But his color assortment of clothes was very...limited, to say the least. His daughter, on the other hand, wore an adorable pink dress with unicorns printed on the skirt portion of it, white leggings because it was a little chilly outside, and sparkly pink flats to complete her outfit. As for her hair, Corpse tied in a pink ribbon in the place a headband would go, making her look all the more adorable. And finally, he insisted she wears a white cardigan, saying it would make her look more like a real princess but in reality, he just wanted to have something that would keep her warm. 

The workers at Biaggi’s had been nothing but kind. Catalina got many compliments on her dress or her hair that she really started to believe they thought she was royalty. For the appetizer, Corpse ordered them the delicious fried ravioli, which was his favorite thing at this fine establishment, and he was delighted that his daughter was also a fan of them after making her try one. 

She wanted spaghetti because that’s what Dave made her, and he went for the seafood alfredo. He already knew Catalina didn’t like shrimp so he didn’t make her try his food as he usually does. It was his way of getting her to try new things, hoping that she would grow up to always embrace something that she isn’t familiar with. 

“¡Papi, prueba mis tallarines! ( **Daddy, try my spaghetti!)** ” Catalina sat on her knees so she could lean across the table, a hand holding a spaghetti covered fork extended his way. Corpse knew what she wanted and he knew his shirt was no doubt going to get sauce on it. But he couldn’t care; this was his daughter after all and if she wanted to feed him then by god, he would let her. 

“Todo por tí, bebita. **(Anything for you, baby.)** ” Just as he expected, the pasta partially fell off of the fork when she brought it to his mouth. He managed to eat some of it so as to not make her sad but the rest landed on his shirt and all over his chin. Corpse chuckled at her little gasp, the utensil dropping to her plate as she grabbed for the napkin sitting by her. 

"¡Yo te ayudo, papi!  **(Let me help, daddy!)** " The fabric was brought up to his chin, he had to lean forward so she could reach, and she terribly wiped any of the sauce that was there. After a few seconds, he took the napkin from her with a smile and cleaned off his shirt. He was thankful he decided to wear a black v-neck because that would’ve been embarrassing otherwise. 

“So Cat,” Corpse cleared his throat after scarfing down the last bit of his entree, placing his facemask over his mouth and nose, “what else do you want to do today?” He thanked the waiter once their table was cleared, watching his daughter fail to properly clean her face with a smile. Her eyes lit up at the question and she began to shift in her seat excitedly. 

“Can we go see Bimbus?” Corpse faltered at that, slowly playing his card into the leather book where their check was kept. Never once has he failed to give his daughter what she asked on their daddy-daughter dates and he most certainly didn’t want to make this the first. But he wasn’t sure if Sykkuno was busy at the moment or if he was comfortable seeing them outside of the flower shop. It was a Sunday so they were closed which meant the only option was to see him at one of their places. 

“Princesa...I can ask but I can’t promise he’ll agree, okay?” She nodded but he could already see the hopefulness in her eyes. He prayed to whatever gods existed that Sykkuno would say yes because he didn’t want to break her little heart. And so, he pulled out his phone and shot a quick text to Sykkuno (they exchanged numbers after the little hangout the night he dropped him off) and waited far too anxiously for his response. 

**Corpse:**

**‘Hey, can Cat and i come over to see Bimbus? She rlly wants to’**

Nervously, he wondered if that was too forward. They had only really texted each other to share how their day went or if anything exciting happened to them. Not that Corpse wanted to talk more or anything. Never once has the topic of visiting each other’s apartment come up. But soon enough, the buzz from the device indicated that he received a message. And he knew that it would most likely be from Sykkuno. With a shaky breath, he flipped it over to stare at the lit-up screen. 

**Cute Florist <3: **

**‘Sure! My roommate is busy tonight so it won’t be a problem :D’**

When he broke the news to Catalina, she was  _ ecstatic,  _ to say the least. She wasn’t nearly this happy every time she got to see Jack’s cat or Rae’s dog and briefly, he wondered why Bimbus was so special to her. She practically dragged him out of the restaurant and to the black pick up truck, even buckling herself into her booster seat. He let out a full-blown laugh this time and turned the key in the ignition until the vehicle roared to life. 

After typing in the address Sykkuno gave him, he blasted some Frozen to celebrate and screamed along to the lyrics as his daughter giggled in the backseat. It was days like these where he’s reminded of how his efforts have not gone to waste. That despite what his anxiety may tell him, Catalina was  _ happy _ and that’s all that mattered. 

Shortly after, they arrived at the front of the complex and managed to find a spot close enough to where they wouldn’t have to cross the street. He shot a quick text to say they were there before helping Cat out of the car. That’s when he noticed the plastic bag in her hands. 

“¿Qué tienes en la bolsa, Catalina?  **(What’s in the bag, Catalina?)** ” Corpse crossed his arms, quirking an eyebrow as he stared at her expectantly. She only smiled, opening it up so he could see the contents inside. There was a plastic pink tiara, one that she wore when she played princess, and a few clip-on hair bows as well as some bandanas. 

"Voy a ponerle ropita a Bimbus!  **(I will put clothes on Bimbus!)** ” Was her answer and before he could say anything, she slipped out of the seat and skipped to the front door. Sighing, he locked the car and caught up to her in three easy strides. He racked his mind to think of when she could’ve possibly snuck that past him. Corpse really had to give her props because he honestly could not think of a moment she was out of his sight. If that was a good or bad thing, he didn’t know. 

They found themselves in front of the door belonging to Sykkuno’s apartment and after triple checking the number, he finally let Catalina knock on the wood. They heard shuffling from the other side, a muffled ‘coming’ barely registering in their ears before the door swung open to reveal a smiling Sykkuno. Just as it always does when he sees the brunette, his heart began beating way too fast and he thanked the universe that he was wearing a facemask. Because he may or may not be blushing at the moment. 

“Hi, Catalina.” The man chuckled when the girl in question threw her arms around his left leg in a big hug. Sykkuno crouched down so they could embrace properly but she was quickly distracted by Bimbus who barked happily at her. She darted inside to play with the puppy, earning a few kisses to her cheek in the process. 

“Sorry, she really missed Bimbus.” Corpse smiled at the way he giggled, walking past the shorter male so he could close the door. The apartment was nice though he could tell Sykkuno wasn’t the only one living there. The decorations seemed all too...articulate for someone as easy going as Sykkuno. However, he had no doubt that the several plants lining window sills and bookshelves belonged to the florist. 

“Sysy, can I put this on Bimbus?’ Catalina had since laid out the contents of the on the floor with the dog lying in front of the sitting girl. His tail was thumping against the floor and he sniffed at the multiple options of bows and bandanas set out. The plastic tiara was now on her head. 

Sykkuno hummed, bending down to pick up the bows. They were hair clips and Corpse wasn’t sure if they should go on a dog’s fur. He really wanted to tell the brunette just that but instead, he watched as the man took a seat next to his daughter with an apologetic smile. 

“I’m sorry Cat, but these might hurt Bimbus.” She looked crestfallen but didn’t start crying, instead choosing to hold up one of the bandanas instead. Sykkuno giggled,  _ how Corpse loved that sound,  _ and nodded his head which earned him a little squeal from the five-year-old. The father decided to sit down next to them, helping her carefully wrap the piece of cloth around Bimbus’ neck. 

“He looks handsome.” Sykkuno assured, fixing the green bandana that now rested around his dog’s neck. Bimbus barked happily as he gave Catalina a single lick on the cheek, bounding away towards his toys to play. Corpse expected his daughter to follow but instead, she grabbed two pink ribbons from the plastic grocery bag and stood up so she was eye level with her sitting father. WIth her tongue sticking out, she slipped the bows onto two locks of his hair on the opposite sides of his head. 

“There! Now you’re pretty, Papi!” She skipped over to where the animal was and Corpse felt his face flush when he heard Sykkuno start to giggle. He didn’t doubt for a second that he looked absolutely ridiculous. Just as he was about to take them out, the florist wrapped his hands around the ravenette’s wrists to pull them away from his curls. Sykkuno quickly realized what he had done and pulled away in embarrassment. 

“S-Sorry. I just like them in your hair…” Corpse watched him shuffle from his spot over to the couch, asking Catalina what she wanted to watch. He went to take out the hairpieces once more but found his hands hovering over the objects instead. His heart hammered in his chest, much like a drum, and he found himself leaving the bows where they were. He told himself it was because he didn’t want to upset Cat. 

But he knew that wasn’t the truth. 

She decided on Sing after several minutes of back and forths and the trio got comfortable on the gray couch. Cat sat between them, snuggled into Sykkuno’s side which was a pleasant surprise for Corpse. She was never this comfortable around fairly new people like Sykkuno was for her. Briefly, he wondered if the brunette had this sort of effect on everyone. Bimbus jumped his way up onto the furniture, curling up into Corpse’s lap with a satisfied whine at the ear scratches he was receiving. 

It only took an hour for Catalina to fall asleep. She could never sit through an entire film no matter how much she loved whatever was playing. Corpse chuckled, gently moving her over to lay her down on the couch. Her curls were splayed across his thighs and he smiled down at her, rubbing the back of her head in a way he knew she liked. 

“You’re a really good dad, you know that?” His attention snapped to Sykkuno though his movements did not falter. He took in the far off look and gentle smile that he left uncovered. That sight alone was enough to make him feel as if he just ran a marathon. “I’ve met a lot of single parents who buckle under the pressure or blame their kids for their ruined relationship. It’s refreshing to meet someone as amazing as you.” 

Usually, the last words would’ve made him blush or his stomach would flutter but his mind decided to bombard him with other thoughts instead. It decided to remind him of Delilah, of how little she cared for her own child, of how manipulative she was, of how he can’t even tell his daughter where her mother is because he didn’t want her to know about the shitty person she was. Corpse may not be the strongest out there when it comes to mental health and in a sense, parenthood had both pros and cons to his mental state; but no matter how hard it got, he could never hate Catalina. He could never purposefully hurt her. Even if she grew to hate him. 

“I love Catalina more than anything. But parenting by myself is hard. I’m extremely lucky I have Dave and Jack and Rae…” Corpse trailed off, a melancholy smile on his lips. His hand rested on the girl’s back ever so softly, chuckling at the little snore that left her mouth. “I wish I could give her what she wants most. She asks so much about her mother and I can’t tell her the truth because of how awful that woman is. That’s all she wants; a mom. But I can’t give that to her.” 

The sound of the movie playing had become the filler for a rather ambient atmosphere. Corpse couldn’t bring his gaze to leave his daughter and Sykkuno hadn’t said anything for a while now. It didn’t bother him; he was used to this kind of reaction. In fact, he was beginning to doubt himself. Why had he decided to say anything? Something like that is far too heavy for such a casual conversation. Corpse was about to retreat when he felt a hand come to rest on his shoulder. Instinctively, he tensed at the contact but he met those doe brown eyes of the other man. His smile was not one of pity, but of understanding. 

“You’re doing what you can for her, and you’re doing an incredible job. I know we haven’t known each other for that long but I’ll be here if you ever need help.” Corpse stared at him in awe, his mouth hanging open at the offer. Nothing about this situation was the norm for him. Never would he have ever expected Sykkuno to make such an offering for him of all people. But thinking about it now, it seemed as if the other male had  _ some  _ sort of practice with children. Clearly, he wasn’t a father himself but maybe an uncle. 

Corpse’s heart fluttered at the bright smile he was blessed with, his eyes flickering down to stare at those voluptuous lips. The hand on his shoulder slowly easing it’s way up to his neck. Corpse got the hint and he examined Sykkuno’s expression for any discomfort as he moved to tangle his fingers in those soft brown locks. They inched closer together, mindful of the sleeping girl between them, and Corpse could feel minty breath tickle his lips. His heart pounded in his chest, a hand coming to rest on Sykkuno’s hips just as they were about to brush against each other. 

“Papi?” The pair pulled back from each other with a start, Corpse’s face was unbearably hot as he stared at his bleary-eyed daughter. Sykkuno was covering his own blush and practically burning a hole into the tv with too much focus. He cleared his throat, allowing Catalina to sit up and rub her tired eyes. The back of her head was a tangled mess and Corpse chuckled at the sight, carefully running his fingers through her hair to hopefully tame it. 

“Yes, princess?” Cat yawned once more, her eyes falling shut as she leaned against her dad’s shoulder. Corpse smiled, glancing at the clock on his phone to reveal 7 pm. Tomorrow was going to be a tough day for her and the last thing he wanted was to keep her from getting a good night’s rest  despite the fact he wanted nothing more than to stay there and kiss Sykkuno. 

“I better be getting her home. Thanks for letting us come over, I know she loved it.” Corpse could only garner a shy smile, picking up his daughter who had already fallen asleep once more. Sykkuno broke out of his thoughts, picking up the bows that still lay on the floor to put them in the plastic bag that Corpse took once it was ready. The brunette wouldn’t give him so much as a look when he opened the door. But Corpse could still see his red-tinted cheeks. 

“Uh, y-yes, it was fun. I-I’ll see you later?” Sykkuno stuttered, barely managing to meet his gaze so he could see Corpse nod. But the younger man didn’t miss the smile at his confirmation and as he walked down the hallway to the elevator, his own upwardly curved lips refused to go away. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Was Corpse crying that morning as he watched his daughter skip excitedly into her new school? Yes, yes he was. 

The night before he was able to distract himself enough to not think about it but now, it was a reality and he was emotional the second he woke up. Catalina, on the other hand, was beyond ready to start kindergarten. She had been bouncing on her bed, vetting the outfit choices her father made until she finally found one she liked. It was a black shirt with Rainbow Dash printed on the front, a matching sky blue skirt that had rainbows on the bottom, white leggings underneath, and black flats. 

Somehow, Corpse was able to get her still enough to do her hair. He let her pick and she immediately asked for a braid. He decided to do a little extra and styled her hair into a french braid. She whined the closer he was to her scalp but pushed through it like the little soldier she was. And of course, she held up a rainbow ribbon that he tied so it rested on top of her head. Catalina looked absolutely adorable and that was the first tear that Corpse shed that day. 

He handed Cat her Wild Kratts backpack, he put on that show once when there was nothing else to watch and now she was  _ obsessed  _ and used the power of Uncle Dave’s hair to convince her to let him take pictures of her. He hoped Dave didn’t mind buns because that’s what he was gonna get the next time he’s with Cat. 

“¿Papi, crees que haré nuevos amigos? ( **Daddy, do you think I’ll make friends?)** “ That was the first hint at Catalina’s nervousness that he got. She had been so excited the entire morning that he was beginning to think she wasn’t anxious about going somewhere completely new. 

“Claro que sí mi reina, serían afortunados de ser tus amigos.  **(Of course you will baby, anyone is lucky to be your friend.)** ” She beamed at him through the rearview mirror, going back to singing her Disney songs the rest of the car ride there. Now, he wasn’t an expert on how today was supposed to go when dropping her off. If it hadn’t been for the email her new teacher sent out, he would’ve most definitely fucked it up. 

**Ludwig Ahgren:**

**Dear Parents,**

**I am so excited to be starting this year with your children! Kindergarten is a very important time for them and I would like to have as much familial participation as I can. For drop off, I encourage you all to come with your child and help them feel a little more comfortable in this new environment. In my experience, most children will be far more accepting of school if their parents help them pick out a seat and cubby. This also gives me the opportunity to meet all of you! If you have any questions throughout the year, my email will always be open to you. I look forward to seeing you all tomorrow!**

**Sincerely,**

**Mr. Ahgren**

And so, after finding a parking spot, Corpse helped his daughter out of the truck and they walked hand-in-hand to the front doors of the school. Once they had safely crossed the street, Catalina let go and he smiled at the way she skipped up the steps. That was the second time he cried that day. 

The email stated her classroom would be room Blue 4 and it was relatively easy enough to find. There were already parents crowded inside, helping their child put stuff in their cubbies and pick a table to sit at. Catalina took one of the corner lockers and she showed Corpse with pride that she didn’t need help putting her backpack up because she was tall enough to reach. He chuckled at that but she seemed to get a little scared when it came to deciding where to sit. She grabbed hold of his hand and he scanned the room for the empty seats. 

The sound of someone speaking Spanish filled his ears and his eyes landed on a man with black hair who was talking to a little boy. Catalina hasn’t met anyone else who speaks the same language and Corpse wanted her to have that connection with someone. Luckily, there was an empty chair at that table and he slowly led her over there. 

“-pero estoy segura que vas a divertirte mucho aquí.  **(-but I’m sure you’re going to have a fun time here.)** ” The man’s voice became clearer the closer they got and Catalina slid into the little empty chair. Corpse put her bag on the back of it and he crouched down to her eye level. She was picking at the hem of her skirt, a nervous habit he’s noticed her doing. 

“Mira, hablan español también.  **(Look, they speak Spanish too.)** ” He spoke gently, catching the knowing gaze of the other dad. Catalina looked up to stare at the boy and Corpse could only silently encourage her with back rubs. Eventually, she seemed to get enough confidence to say something. 

“H-Hola, me llamo Catalina.  **(H-Hi, my name is Catalina.)** ” Corpse smiled, praising his daughter for talking to someone new. She was always uncomfortable with that and he wanted her to break out of her shell. The boy looked at her unsure but after his dad gave him a nod, he seemed to relax. 

“Soy Enrique.  **(I’m Enrique.)** ” The two fell into a conversation about Paw Patrol and Corpse felt his daughter was at a point where she didn’t need his assistance. So he decided to introduce himself to Enrique’s father instead, sticking out his hand that the man took in a firm handshake. 

“I’m Germán, thank you so much. Enrique doesn’t speak good English and he’s been worrying about making friends all week.” Germán was a couple of years older than Corpse and he had a very heavy Spanish accent. Corpse couldn’t help but wonder if he was a single dad as well; most kids had both parents here after all. But that would’ve been rude to ask so he decided against it. 

“Nice to meet you, I’m Corpse. Catalina doesn’t know anyone else besides me who speaks Spanish so I think this will make her more comfortable.” Corpse smiled when his daughter began to laugh, talking about her Uncle Dave and Bimbus while Enrique told her about his mom being a lawyer. So Germán wasn’t a single father and Corpse couldn’t help but feel a tad bit envious at the fact. 

“Hola, me llamo Mr. Ahgren. Perdón, mi español no es muy bueno.  **(Hello, my name is Mr. Ahgren. I apologize, my Spanish isn’t very good.)** ” Ludwig Ahgren approached their table now, a smile on his face as he offered the two children a high five. Corpse could definitely see he had a way with kids because Catalina was not anxious around him one bit. 

“Catalina understands and speaks English, don’t worry.” Corpse assured, chuckling at the American pronunciation on a lot of what Ludwig had said. He did appreciate the effort though and Germán informed him that Enrique could understand English but didn’t speak it well. Mr. Ahgren had a sheepish smile as he introduced himself to the parents. 

“That’s good! I know very basic Spanish.” He laughed, earning a giggle from Catalina. “Anyway, it’s nice to meet you! I’m very glad to have your kids in my class this year. The first little worksheet they’ll have to do is kind of like an icebreaker. Just a little questionnaire about any traditions you may have or anything I may need to know about your family or your child.” After about 10 more minutes of introductions, it was time for the parents to leave. Catalina got a little annoyed at his overly long hug and many kisses but he’d be damned if he left without showing her how much he will miss her. 

Somehow, Corpse managed to keep the tears at bay until he was in the privacy of his car. 

Corpse’s eyes were red and puffy by the time he got to work; the endless teasing from Charlie was enough to distract his mind from the amount of worry he had for his daughter. He was hoping she was making all the friends she deserved and he planned on taking her to get ice cream when he picked her up. 

His baby was growing up and he wasn’t quite sure how to handle it yet. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Art by KillerofKawaii! Leave a comment and let me know what you thought. Writing fluff is so hard for me lol


	4. Mother's Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I would like to say I am so sorry about the update taking this long. Unfortunately, college has started back up for me. I am a full time student working a part time job and my time has been stretched thin. I can't promise updates will come any sooner than two weeks but I can ensure you that this story, and my others, will not be abandoned. Just be patient with me. That and I also decided to upload six WIPs like a fool so I'll be rotating updates between those five (two of which won't be updated as often as this story, Frozen Heart, Everything Will Not Be Okay, and To Cure a Broken Soul). 
> 
> Thank you to Mollyroll for being my beta and Killerofkawaii for the amazing fanart, as always :D

The near kiss he shared with Sykkuno had been running through his thoughts since the day it happened months ago. The magnetic pull of his lips was enough to send a shiver through his spine every time it crossed his mind. The eager yet shy look encapsulates Sykkuno’s beautiful doe eyes, reeling Corpse in even further than he already was. 

Corpse had long accepted the fact he was head over heels for Sykkuno. 

Yet every single time he was around the man, he dissolved into a stuttering mess that earned him his fair share of teasing. It was bad enough that the only time he got to see the florist was when he was visiting Jack under the guise of his daughter wanting to say hi. It took him a long time to gather enough courage to actually  _ ask  _ Sykkuno to hang out with him. Of course, Catalina would join them for that as well. 

It had been Sykkuno’s idea to do something together without Cat. The man had been incredibly nervous to ask, even Corpse could tell, and he practically jumped at the offer. He loved his daughter more than anything but he also yearned to have a social life outside of her. It had been years since he'd spent time with any of his friends without the addition of the small human. 

And it definitely showed. Corpse found it far too difficult to talk about anything other than his daughter. She was the center of his life and has been for the past five years, everything else just fell off to the side. Sykkuno didn’t seem to mind, indulging him in what he had to say and even throwing in his own stories of Cat that he shared that week Jack was watching her at his shop. 

Corpse is ashamed to say that it took him two months to talk about anything other than Cat. His life revolves around his daughter and it has for the past 5 years, there wasn’t much else he could talk about. It’s not like his work was particularly exciting. He was thankful the florist was too kind to call him out on such shortcomings. 

It was a Saturday morning in the crisp month of February. Valentine’s Day has since passed and he spent the holiday  if it even qualifies as that with Cat. He made her chocolate chip pancakes, her favorite breakfast, and bought her a giant stuffed sloth that she absolutely loved. It took him 30 minutes the next day to separate her from the new toy, explaining that she couldn’t bring a stuffed animal that big to school with her. 

The ding of his phone pulled him from his thoughts, reaching over to grab the mobile device on the couch. Catalina was curled into his side, happily singing along to ‘Hakuna Matata.’ Her attempt to sound like Pumba is one of his favorite things to listen to because it’s just...beautifully terrible. 

**Cute Florist <3:**

**Do you and Cat want to get ice cream today?**

Corpse’s stomach flipped in his abdomen, a blush creeping its way onto his cheeks. Getting a text from Sykkuno never ceased to make him jittery. Clearing his throat, he kissed the top of his daughter’s head and she squirmed in his hold. She hated affection while watching a movie but it was the best way to get her attention.

“Princess, do you want to get ice cream with Sykkuno today?” She perked up at the question, turning to face him with an excited smile. Chuckling, he picked her up and took her back to her room to pick out an outfit. As cute as she looked in her Eevee pajamas, it most certainly wasn’t something to wear on a date. 

_ It’s not a date, Corpse.  _

After a few debates, they finally settled on a light blue t-shirt with a picture of Elsa and Anna printed on it, a white frilly skirt that ended below her knees, white tights, and clear flats. She scurried over to sit on the floor, leaving enough room between herself and the bed for Corpse to plop down. Grabbing the brush from off the bed, he carefully began to brush out the tangles that have already made their way into her hair. 

Soon enough, the inky tresses of Cat’s curls fell through his fingers with ease. He began the process of braiding her hair, admiring the softness that she no doubt inherited from her...mother. He quickly pushed the thought in the back of his mind, finishing up the hairdo and placing a black band to keep it in place. He flicked it over her shoulder, chuckling at the smile she beamed up her father. 

“Thank you, Papi!” She chirped, essentially dragging him to his own room to pick his outfit. When it came to dressing himself, he didn’t trust her judgment to put together something that actually matched so their routine when it came to getting dressed was to put together several outfits that she would get to pick from. It wasn’t until his fifth try did she agree to it.

It was a white t-shirt under a black denim button-up with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, black faded jeans, and his usual black converse to bring it together. And just like always, his assortment of necklaces, rings, and bracelets. He snatched the keys from the bedside table before leading his daughter to the front door. 

“Do you think I can see Bimby?” Corpse smiled at the new nickname for Bimbus, turning the key in the ignition. ‘Old Town Road’ began to play over the speaker and he started the 10 minute drive to Cold Stone; that was Cat’s favorite ice cream shop. 

“You’ll have to ask Sykkuno, love.” The building came into view and he managed to find a parking spot right in front of it. The man they were joining was standing in front of the door, pushing off the brick to wave as they pulled up. He was wearing a sky blue hoodie, white skinny jeans, and white converse. 

Corpse pocketed the keys, exiting his car to find Catalina already in Sykkuno’s arms. She was hugging him tight and the sight was enough to make his heart clench in his chest. He could’ve easily mistaken Sykkuno for a parent; he was such a tender and sweet person to his daughter and even knew the proper way to hold her. He remembered having to teach that to Dave, Jack, and Rae. 

“Sysy! Can I see Bimby?” The brunette giggled, setting her down but keeping her hand in his own. 

“Not today, he’s getting groomed.” Sykkuno apologized before leading her into the shop. Corpse followed behind, heading right for the counter to place their order. They argued briefly on who should pay but Sykkuno eventually gave in, allowing Corpse to treat him. 

He quickly ordered two medium cups of mint chocolate chip ice cream for himself and Sykkuno, and a small waffle cone of chocolate ice cream for Catalina. Sykkuno found them a table in the corner and Corpse took his seat across from him, sliding the cup over to the florist. Cat hoisted herself up onto her dad’s lap and they started to make small talk as they ate. 

Eventually, she turned around to face Corpse, chocolate cream over her upper lip as if she had a mustache. Her smile was goofy and he couldn’t help the grin that slowly made its way onto his face. 

“Papi, look! I’m Tio Jackie!” She threw on a horrible attempt at an Irish accent and Corpse chuckled, his smile growing at the sound of Sykkuno’s laughter. Cat gestured for him to hold her hair as if it were in a bun and he did just that, enjoying the way she got his over the top yelling spot on. 

“Excuse me,” Corpse looked up from his daughter, narrowing his eyes ever so slightly at the woman standing before him. She had brown hair ending just below her shoulders and a tight smile that didn’t reach her green eyes. Her skin was pale and light freckles dusted her cheeks; she was no older than 40. “You should really teach your daughter how to be a lady, though I understand it may be a little difficult given your situation.” Her eyes flickered between the two men.

Corpse’s lips pressed into a thin line, Cat going still on his lap. Carefully, he picked up a napkin and began to wipe away the chocolate ice cream above her lip and on the tip of her nose. She met his gaze, her hazel eyes wide with confusion. He offered her a slightly forced smile before a cough from Sykkuno drew his attention. 

“O-Oh, we’re not a couple. He’s a, uhm, single dad.” Sykkuno rubbed the nape of his neck nervously, the woman’s smile turning judgmental much like a switch had been flipped. She popped her hip out, crossing her arms over her chest. 

“Is that so? Little girls shouldn’t be pretending to be a man, you should be teaching her how to be a proper lady. You don’t want her to end up like you, now do you?” Corpse’s eyes snapped up to glare at her, her expression sickeningly sweet. He sucked in a shaky breath, taking a moment to collect himself. 

“With all due respect, I’ve done a good enough job raising her on my own. Thank you for the advice,  _ ma’am _ .” The woman scoffed, turning on her heels and heading back to where her two children and husband sat. The silence was tense and Catalina eventually returned to finishing her ice cream. Though, he noticed she was no longer as lively as before. 

Sykkuno turned in his seat, his eyebrows furrowed together as he appeared deep in thought. Nothing was said between them for a while until the brunette’s chocolate brown orbs fell onto Cat, moving its way up until they stopped in their course, landing on a clearly upset Corpse. 

“I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-” Corpse leaned forward, placing a hand on Sykkuno’s own. He couldn’t help his lingering touch but Sykkuno didn’t seem to mind. Any tension he was carrying slowly seeped out of him, offering Corpse a shy smile. Soon enough, he pulled back when he felt the florist had relaxed. The last thing he wanted was for Sykkuno to blame himself. 

“It’s okay, it happens a lot.” Catalina finished her dessert, resting her head on his chest and Sykkuno took to throwing away their trash. They agreed to go to Corpse’s apartment and the trio piled into the truck. The drive there was tense but neither dared to make a sound. Cat didn’t seem to notice, perfectly content with just humming along to the songs that would play. 

It wasn’t long before they made it back to the apartment and Corpse quickly straightened up a few toys that were laying around. This was the first time Sykkuno was here and he was embarrassed that he hadn’t picked the place up beforehand. The brunette assured him it was fine but the anxiety still ate away at him. 

Catalina dragged Sykkuno to the couch and Corpse put in Moana upon her request. He took the small interlude as his chance to properly clean; he ensured all the dishes were done and put away all of his daughter’s toys. Only when he was satisfied did he join them on the couch. He had just gotten to the part where Moana meets Maui and Cat was singing her butt off to the song. 

When the movie came to an end, Sykkuno had suggested Big Hero 6 much to Catalina’s delight. He found it on Disney+ and silence fell upon them once more. The only sound was the young girl’s occasional sniffling at the sad parts. Once he noticed his daughter dozing off, he turned the volume of the movie down and struggled to find something to say. 

He wanted to tell Sykkuno how he felt. He wanted to hear what the other man had to say. Corpse wasn’t sure if he liked him in that way and he was downright terrified of ruining such a good friendship. But he didn’t want to just be his friend; he yearned to be so much more than that. And he was praying to whoever was out there that Sykkuno felt the same. Just as he was opening his mouth to speak, the pleasantly calming voice of the florist cut through the silence. 

“Corpse?” Sykkuno looked over from his place on the couch, his fingers gently combing through the strands of Catalina’s hair. This was the first time in a long time that Cat was actually comfortable enough to sleep against someone that wasn’t himself, Dave, Jack, or Rae. And the sight alone made his heart do funny things. Corpse barely remembered to hum in response. 

“Back at the ice cream shop...does that really happen that often?” The question came off as unsure and Corpse really couldn’t blame him. Most people were unaware of the stigma surrounding single parenthood unless they themselves were in that situation. He was the exact same way. Sighing, he leaned back into the leather, staring up at the ceiling with resignation. 

“Yeah.” His mind shuffled through the many memories he had of couples coming up to him, lecturing about things that they felt he was lacking in. Half the time, they were belittling him for being a single father or being so young. But none stood out like the first time he ever experienced it. 

“When Cat was 3 months old, I took her to the grocery store with me for the first time. Dave couldn’t watch her and I was in desperate need of some food. Naturally, I was terrified because this would be the first time I really took her out in public. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be...at first. But after a little bit, she started to get cranky.” Corpse cleared his throat, pushing the hair out of his face before continuing, “I tried to feed her, give her one of her favorite toys, but no matter what I did, she wouldn’t stop crying. Everyone was staring at us and I started freaking out. Eventually, this couple walked up to me and gave me some tips on how to calm her down. And their advice worked. I had been so grateful that she  _ finally  _ stopped crying. They asked where our parents were, and I guess I could understand because at the time, I was only 18. But then I told them I was a single father.” 

Sykkuno reached over to intertwine their fingers and Corpse found himself clutching onto his hand like his life depended on it. There weren’t very many things that could get to him but that first year of Catalina’s life were the darkest moments. His depression had hit him like a dump truck and soon enough, the mechanic found himself drowning as time went on. His first taste of bigotry only made it worse. 

“They had demeaned me for having Catalina. They told me I should have had enough sense to not let something like that happen. ‘No wonder her mother left,’ was what they said.” Corpse bit back the tears beginning to form. “I noticed all the stares after that. The more times I got ‘lectured’ or ‘advised,’ the more I began to believe Cat would have been better off with Delilah.” The couch shook when Sykkuno moved, carefully laying the little girl’s head on the seat so he could slide over. 

Those soft hands came to rest on either side of his head, using very little force to turn Corpse’s head until their eyes met. The father felt himself slowly melt in the touch, subconsciously leaning into one of his palms. Sykkuno beamed him a gentle smile as a thumb caressed the skin over his cheek bone. 

“Corpse, these past few months have only shown me what an amazing dad you are. You do everything you can to make her happy, things other fathers wouldn’t normally do. I mean, you let her put bows in your hair. If that doesn’t scream good dad then I don’t know what does.” Corpse chuckled at that, wiping away the tear that threatened to fall. “I don’t know what the story around Catalina’s mother is but...I know that you’re doing a far better job than she ever could.” 

Corpse placed his hand over one of Sykkuno’s, holding it firmly on his cheek as he struggled to even out his breathing. The brunette didn’t seem to mind, sitting there as long as the other man needed him to. Truthfully, he didn’t realize single parenthood was so looked down upon and he wanted Corpse to understand that he’s doing incredible at raising Catalina. The girl was so lucky to have him as her father. 

“Thank you.” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mother’s Day wasn’t always rough. He would only have to deal with Cat asking him a single question about her mother and Corpse would tell her the same thing everytime: ‘Your mother left for work. But there isn’t a day that goes by that she doesn’t miss you.’ It was a blatant lie but what was he going to say? Your mother didn’t want you so she abandoned us to live her own life? Definitely not something to tell a 5-year-old. And the morning started out like any other. 

It wasn’t until he picked her up from school did he realize it wouldn’t be the same this year. 

Ludwig had approached him before he could grab Catalina’s attention. His daughter was playing with Enrique on the swings outside the building with her back towards him. Though the teacher’s smile was pleasant, his eyes were full of concern. 

“I’m glad I caught you.” Ludwig sighed, crossing his arms over his chest and stared at the children still waiting for their parents. He was deep in thought, his eyebrows knitted together until he finally figured out what he wanted to say. Corpse didn’t like the look he wore. 

“Catalina…” Ludwig started hesitantly, “today in class, we were creating Mother’s Day cards. I told Cat it was fine if she made a card for you instead, and she didn’t have an issue with that. When I was helping another child, I hadn’t noticed two other youths come up to her because my back was facing your daughter. I didn’t hear what they said but she grew quiet after that. Enrique told me they made fun of her for not having a mom.” 

Corpse could see it now: Cat was slouched, she wasn’t playing like she usually does, instead opting to just barely swing. Her head was hanging low and she was ignoring whatever Enrique was saying. She only got like that when she was upset. 

“I just thought I should let you know.” Corpse thanked Ludwig, shaking his hand briefly before making his way to the fence separating the playground from the rest of the school. He called her name, not earning so much as a glance when she slid off the swing and shuffled her way over. Corpse couldn’t make out her expression, the curls of her hair blocking his view. But he decided this conversation could wait till they were home; he didn’t want to cause a scene at the school. 

The car ride there was silent, the sound of Disney music wasn’t able to cheer Catalina up. Corpse had sent subconscious glances through the rear view mirror, only once was he able to catch the subtle frown on her lips. His mind was racing, thinking of every possible thing he could say to her. Every possible scenario that might come up when they talked. Leaving his daughter confused and upset was not an option. 

Eventually, he pulled into the parking garage of their apartment, Corpse taking Catalina’s hand as they made their way to the elevator. It was empty and he waited for just a moment before pressing the button to their floor. Usually, Cat would jump at the chance. 

The machine dinged and the doors slid open, the pair walking down the hallway until they reached their destination. Corpse fished the keys out of his pocket, unlocking the door and letting go of his daughter’s hand once she was inside. He set her backpack down on the couch and lowered himself to his knees, clasping his hands over her shoulders. He could make out the streaks of tears on her cheeks and his frown only deepened. 

“Cat…Mr. Ahgren told me about what happened in class.” He started gently, catching his daughter’s eye when she peered up at him through her bangs. “I know Mother’s Day can be a little hard but-”

“I want a mommy.” The declaration threw Corpse off, the man taking in the words with wide eyes. Catalina was facing him fully now with wide, watery eyes and he could see just how red and puffy they were. He hated seeing her cry. 

“W-What?” He stuttered, his voice faltering as he spoke. 

“Everyone else has a mommy, I want one too. Please, Papi?” Corpse froze much like a deer in headlights, far unprepared for something like this. He expected to ask where her mom is like she did every year. Never once had Corpse expected her to ask for a mom. Clearing his throat, he wiped away the tears with as much care as he could muster. 

“Catalina...I can’t give you a mommy.” Her frown grew larger and he slowly began to panic, unsure of how to continue with this conversation. How could he tell his daughter that her mother had left him scared? That he couldn’t get that close with a woman like that ever again. 

That the only relationship he wanted was with another man. 

“Why not?” Corpse wasn’t sure if she was ready to have that conversation yet, and quite frankly, he wasn’t sure if  _ he  _ was ready to tell her that. She was too young to understand what it meant anyways. 

“I-Cat, I just can’t.” Her bottom lip began to quiver and Corpse’s heart sank, placing a gentle hand on her cheek. But she yanked out of his hold, fresh tears falling from her eyes as she started at him with the most miserable look he had ever seen. 

“I…” Her voice shook and she took in a gasping breath past her sobs. Corpse crouched there, waiting for Cat to say what she needed to. From personal experiences, he knows it was best to get it all out before you can truly overcome whatever may be troubling you. 

“I hate you!” Those three words were enough to shatter his heart, watching his daughter run down the hall. The sound of her door slamming shut echoed throughout the apartment and Corpse could only sit there, staring at the space she once was. 

There had been many times in his life where that phrase was shouted at him and never once has it bothered him. Maybe when he and Delilah were first dating, when she began to turn into the witch he knows her as now, but even he grew numb as time went on. 

But that all changes when it's your daughter telling you that. 

She was only 5, Corpse  _ knew  _ that she didn’t mean it. However, he found it nearly impossible to think otherwise. Cat had so many reasons to hate him: it was his fault her mother left after all. And he can’t even give her a complete family. She deserved that, she deserved to have a normal home life. He tried his best to make sure she didn’t notice how abnormal her childhood was because of him. Only now does he realize that was a mistake. 

The tingling of his fingers drew his attention back to reality, pushing himself up to stand normally and shuffled his way over to the end table by the couch. He opened the cabinet door, pulling out a a book labeled  **‘Catalina’s Milestones’** and began flipping through the pages. The first picture was of him holding her in his arms as a baby. She was crying, swaddled in a pastel pink blanket, but his eyes were admiring everything about her. 

From there, there were many pictures of her first took, her first time crawling, the first time she took a step, her first time meeting Jack and Rae, her first birthday; all of it only made the lump in his throat grow. Finally, he came to the newest picture and he could no longer hold back his tears. It was her first day of Kindergarten. Catalina was smiling into the camera proudly while showcasing her cool new backpack in the best way she knew how. 

Slowly, he reached back over to the drawer of the same end table, sliding it open to pull out one last photo. He had taken this last week at the park. While his daughter was fairly open to trying new things, she had been afraid of swings for almost a year now. The first time Cat tried them out of the baby seats, she ended up falling off and scraping her knee. He tried to get her to give them another shot but to no avail. 

Sykkuno had convinced her. He helped her up onto the seat and pushed her gently until she was comfortable with going higher. Corpse snapped a shot where she was smiling the brightest he had ever seen her, Sykkuno giggled in the background as he watched. He turned to the next empty page, sliding it into the photo pocket he created and grabbed hold of his collection of colored markers.  **‘Catalina’s First Swing’** was the title and he spent much longer staring at that picture than he should have. 

“Papi?” Corpse jumped, taking in his daughter’s puffy eyes carefully. She was holding onto the blanket she always slept with and her hair was a tangled mess. He slid the book to the side, giving her enough room to sit on the couch next to him. She did just that, fiddling with the smooth end of her prized possession. 

“It’s okay, honey. I’m not mad.” He started gently but she only shook her head, her glossy hazel eyes meeting his own gaze. Her bottom lip quivered and she all but threw herself at him, wrapping her tiny arms around his neck the best she could. Corpse didn’t hesitate to reciprocate the embrace, a few more tears falling of their own accord as they sat there. 

“I-I’m sorry. I-I don’t h-hate you. I-I love you, Papi.” She sobbed and Corpse pulled back just enough to pepper her face with gentle kisses. Catalina didn’t squirm in his hold or try to get away like she usually does but instead, she gladly accepted them. He knew what he had to do; he couldn’t keep his daughter in the dark about this anymore. And he wanted to prevent a repeat of today from ever happening again. 

“I love you too, Catalina.” He whispered, giving her one more squeeze before transitioning himself from the couch to the floor. Corpse wanted to be eye level with her for this talk. “But...I want to tell you  _ why  _ I can’t give you another mommy.” She didn’t say anything and he could only take a deep breath in a sorry attempt to calm his nerves. There was no turning back now.

“You see...you won’t have another mommy but that doesn’t mean you won’t have a complete family.” She furrowed her eyebrows and Corpse was finding it increasingly difficult to explain what he meant. How do you explain sexuality to a 5-year-old?

“Well, I love another man.” The image of a certain brunette flashed through this mind, taking all of Corpse’s willpower to not choke on his own saliva. 

“So...I’ll get two Papi’s?” She didn’t seem to be upset which relieved him greatly, but she was clearly mulling over the new information. He confirmed her question with a nod and after a few excruciatingly long moments, a smile finally broke out onto her face. Corpse had never been so happy to see those crooked teeth of hers. 

“Will SySy be my other Papi?” All of Corpse’s previous composure went right out the window. He coughed, turning away from his daughter to hide the burning blush on his cheeks. Corpse shot up, picking her up by the legs so she hung upside down by his back. Catalina’s laugh filled the space and the embarrassment began to ease out of his body. 

“It’s time for bed, baby girl.” He took her up the stairs and deposited her on the floor in front of the bathroom entrance gently, helping her up on the stool to brush her teeth. 

Staring at himself in the mirror, he realized that the blush had never left his face. If he could describe the amount of whipped he was, it would be whipped times 2 squared to the power of 10. 

But when Sykkuno flashed through his mind, he found he didn’t care. Corpse decided right then that there was no better man to fall in love with. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! The angst will only pick up from here <3

**Author's Note:**

> Leave a comment telling me what you think! I’m really excited for this story and I absolutely love writing Dad! Corpse.


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